Paris is trying to calm things down. This Wednesday, the French government called for “a political resolution of the conflict” between Hamas and Israel and “the search for lasting peace”. “Everything must be done to avoid the situation of escalation in the Middle East, protect civilians, avoid conflagration,” declared government spokesperson Olivier Véran during the report of the Council of Ministers, recalling France’s support for Israel in the face of “unjustifiable terrorist attacks by Hamas”.
“France stands more than ever and will always stand on the side of democracy and freedom, France rejects and will always reject unambiguously, without reservation, the barbarity of terrorism,” insisted the minister. He pleaded for a “need, in the period, for unity, for cohesion of the nation and certainly not to import the conflict onto our soil”. “These speeches which trivialize, which excuse violence, end up, in fact, provoking violence.”
Jewish community places under police protection
According to him, “around fifty events with anti-Semitic connotations have taken place in our country” since this attack which killed 1,200 Israelis according to the Israeli army, and left 1,055 dead in the Gaza Strip according to local authorities. Recalling that criminal investigations are systematically opened, he announced “more than fifteen openings of legal proceedings against comments or acts linked to the anonymization of the facts”.
“More than 500 Jewish community places” and all religious schools were also placed under police protection, he said. The minister also assured that “not a single euro of aid [humanitaire] French does not reach a terrorist organization, directly or indirectly.
Meetings of party leaders and presidential address
In this context, Emmanuel Macron will bring together the heads of political parties on Thursday to discuss the situation “following the terrorist acts committed in Israel” then will address the French at 8 p.m. This closed-door meeting between the Head of State and Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the Elysée, the presidency announced on Wednesday.
It will therefore bring together, if they confirm their presence, the leaders of the presidential camp (Renaissance, Modem, Horizons) and opposition groups (National Rally, Les Républicains, Union of Democrats and Independents, Radical Party, La France Insoumise, Parti socialist, Europe Ecology – The Greens and Communist Party). The presidents of the National Assembly, the Senate and the Economic, Social and Environmental Council are also invited.